Older employees might have heightened concerns, and there may be some team members who have auto-immune disorders which make them more susceptible to the coronavirus – health challenges that they may or may not have disclosed to HR. ico-arrow-default-right. As the uncertainties caused by COVID-19 continue to disrupt work environments, business leaders must be mindful of how they can improve employees’ mental health and morale. Staying connected while showing compassion are great ways to boost team morale during this uncertain time. Gatherings are being canceled or postponed, employers are restricting travel, and organizations are deploying action plans to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Hoppier virtual spending cards enable your participants to order breakfast, drinks, lunch from their favorite restaurants in minutes – a surefire way to boost remote employee morale! Those who get help during a crisis are bound to be doubly grateful. According to a survey conducted by Human Resource Management, 65% of employers said maintaining employee morale during COVID-19 is a problem – but how do you remedy this? Tags: Stay up to date on industry news and trends, product announcements and the latest innovations. Make sure your team members feel comfortable enough to speak up in these settings. Here are 5 ways you can boost employee morale during the Coronavirus pandemic: Virtual Team Bonding When your workforce is dispersed, it’s especially important to keep your employees engaged. You need to be flexible and understanding toward employees who are dealing with personal and work-related upheavals. Once you get a sense of how your team is feeling, think of ways you can improve on that mood. By actively anticipating these fears and addressing them honestly in a controlled message, you can assuage such concerns and help employees feel more comfortable returning to their on-site roles. All Rights Reserved. You have to remain transparent to boost staff morale. If it’s an issue for them, it’s an issue for your business. Thomas Regional® are part of Thomasnet.com. They’ll come back refreshed, rejuvenated, and motivated. Don’t attempt to hide problems or avoid conversations when morale is low. It is nearly impossible to avoid the topic online, on TV, or at work. Pro-Tip: Boost employee morale at your next virtual event with Hoppier. Find and evaluate OEMs, Custom Manufacturers, Service Companies and Distributors. The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many employees relocate to the safety of their homes to perform work duties; many resources are available to educate leaders on how best to guide their teams through remote work and these uncertain times. Make sure your team members feel comfortable enough to speak up in these settings. Feed your employees good food. Company. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has changed the way people work around the world. With visits to nursing homes and senior communties halted because of COVID-19, get easy ideas to keep your loved one engaged and not socially isolated. California Do Not Track Notice. Your team will judge you by how honest and transparent you are in discussing these concerns. Remember, actions speak louder than words; Don’t just ask for the sake of asking. Remind them that employee assistance plans and any other means of support your company has are there for them anytime, and list relevant contact information in your message. Letting your employees work at the most convenient times is a surefire way to boost morale. Will I get laid off if the business loses money during the pandemic? Encourage and Host Virtual Social Time. In this podcast, McKinsey’s Tom Welchman discusses several issues that leaders can keep in mind as they try to support employees and help them adjust to the next normal. Everyone is under stress of different types. Also, keep in mind that you may need to communicate more than you think and repeat the message frequently in times of crisis. 06. Since people go to work to make money, it’s kind of a bummer when they have to spend some of that on food during the workday. It can also dispel the false rumors that often circulate during times of distress. Also, make sure your internal ‘whistle-blowing’ systems are operational and effective. Pose questions to them, like: It doesn’t matter if the feedback is based on need vs. concern. We all need to eat, and good food costs money. Can Your Company Help Provide Critical Supplies? Daily checklist for communication during the crisis: 1. Hosting weekly or periodic video conferences to keep employees up to date on COVID-19 facts is essential. Some students haven’t turned in any work at all. Supportive management, trust in leadership, positive work environment as well as cross-organization collaboration and communication are some of the best ways to drive positive employee experience during this crisis. Thomas Register® and Show how you’re using credit lines, internal funds, government help, and other financial resources to handle the situation. Establish procedures, a budget and a timeline to meet employee needs, whether that means purchasing technology to enable remote work, helping affected workers find short-term housing, offering extra leave to those with special needs, or whatever the situation calls for. Employees are aware of the challenges this may be causing financially within your business and may be concerned that they could be imminently laid off or have their pay reduced to ease financial strain within the business. Inform them about company updates, new protocols, customer feedback, and more. Ask your people what would help them. Now, worries and doubts are starting to creep in once again. Honest and transparent communication is critical during a crisis. 1. They will not only have a profound impact on your employees’ morale, but will affect your company’s reputation for years to come. Your employees are worried. “You have to care about and discuss it daily.”. Which brings us to one of the most common fears: Do I still have a job here? Drive virtual attendance and engagement with unique experiences that go beyond virtual. 11 ways to boost morale in a COVID world IT leaders are shaking up IT strategies and altering their approaching to leading their teams, introducing new … Turn on Your Camera for Video Conferencing Thomas uses cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Prepare for post-trauma effects like depression and anxiety (particularly for those who had COVID-19). Work-Style Adaptability Make a point of checking in often. ... focused priority when you can identify exactly how you’re going to work toward meeting it. If an employee sees something wrong, they need to be able to feel comfortable following the process to report it. An online forum dedicated to crisis management gives employees a chance to raise concerns and offer suggestions. In times of crisis, people want to see their leaders; leadership must remain accessible, engaged, and communicative. ... 7 Ways to Boost Your Loved One's Morale During the Coronavirus Epidemic ... bingo and chess also will work if you've played those in the past and both sides know the lingo of the game. No one knows exactly how a crisis will play out or how long it will last. Copyright© 2021 Thomas Publishing Company. After a set period of service, give people the option to take a sabbatical. Your decisions and actions during this time matter. Offer your team an opportunity to speak up and share their ideas for addressing financial concerns; When people are part of the solution, they are more likely to feel responsible for the outcome. A simple employee morale booster to lift spirits during Covid-19 ... companies do to boost morale? The longer the stretch, the greater the potential for declines. We are using the power of our platform to aid in the mass shortage of critical supplies. Los Angeles hospital installs puppy live stream to boost morale among nurses working during the pandemic. This could mean talking to you, their manager, or someone else they trust at work. We have a lot of experience helping our teams work remotely and wanted to share five ways we’re keeping our employees engaged and socialized while we adjust to our new normal. Control the message by communicating honestly with your employees. No matter how down in the dumps your team is, these techniques are guaranteed to … The plan should also include helping employees deal with the crisis, … Small doses of team bonding throughout the week can also boost your employees’ morale. 1) Share good news When top executives meet to establish a plan for dealing with the crisis, they need to discuss more than finances, supply chain, physical resources and other bottom-line parameters. Reliable information can hard to come by during a crisis, and your company can serve as a beacon of light. Morale is likely low during this time because of the uncertainty it has created. 10+ million models from leading OEMs, compatible with all major CAD software systems. Finally, encourage people to look after their mental well-being during this time; it’s okay for them to not be okay. Managing a crisis is never easy, but giving your staff the physical and emotional support they need will help them be more resilient. 11 Ways to Boost Employee Morale . Whether it’s an abrupt reversal of fortune, a natural disaster or a national emergency, your business is likely to face some kind of crisis during its existence. A site manager at BASF Ham noted that when the management team’s response time to people’s concerns lengthened, it made employee morale drop. Your employees are looking to you to feel supported to do their best work, while also protecting their health and safety. Employees are looking for advice and encouragement from their leaders, particularly when the emotions are running high. Let them focus on some personal projects or interests. COVID-19 Response Remember that everyone is responding to this pandemic in a slightly different way and facing their own individual challenges and concerns. How to have difficult conversations remotely, See more articles on setting strategy and managing talent in our COVID-19 resource center. Sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered straight to your inbox. Conversation and Action Guide to Support Staff Well-Being and Joy in Work During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. For our workers who have never worked from home, social isolation is deeply felt. We asked HR practitioners, via the SHRM Connect online community and LinkedIn, to share their ideas for easy, affordable ways to boost morale in the work … Consulting, Explain why decisions were made. There are many simple, yet powerful, techniques you can use to instantly boost employee morale. Your employees will respect honesty while you work together to fix any issues. Privacy Statement and During a crisis, it’s important that you and your company’s business leaders send a strong, visible message that shows we’re all in this together. Tips for your job search during Coronavirus. With substantial drops in revenue and fewer sales, many companies are just trying to stay afloat during this pandemic. Listen actively, understand what your team is saying, develop a plan to address their concerns, and follow-through. Some workers may need help with childcare, elder care, transportation, or other crisis-related services. [Confessions of an Industry Millennial], 7 Ways to Prevent Strikes in Manufacturing and Industry, Artificial Intelligence Pilots These Stratospheric Balloons, Automakers Are Fulfilling Voluntary Safety Goal Years Ahead of Schedule, German Metal Coatings Supplier to Open Alabama Plant, Create 73 Jobs, Designed to Fail: Planned Obsolescence in Product Design. If your company can help provide supplies, capabilities, or materials for products such as N-95 Masks and Tyvek Suits — Please let us know. Enlist Your Company ico-arrow-default-right, Select From Over 500,000 Industrial Suppliers. What do you wish I or your team leader was doing right now. Listening to employee’s problems and helping to the degree that you can will go a long way to establish good will and retention down the road. Virtually every industry and every business has been impacted in some way by COVID-19. 17 Ways to Boost Employee Morale During COVID-19 That Aren’t Happy Hours Fancy Dress Fridays. See 2. But if you had good workforce morale before coronavirus interrupted your business, you already know how to produce it. In a crisis, alleviating the feeling of helplessness is half the battle. Here are 6 great ways to boost your employees’ morale during COVID-19: #1 Celebrate accomplishments and milestones It is no secret that COVID-19 has created struggles for many companies worldwide. And after it passes, employees will remember your good will for years to come. We take a look at five ways you can boost employee morale without breaking the bank. ... of the country's COVID-19 epicenter are getting some mental relief in a … How Principals and District Leaders Are Trying to Boost Lagging Teacher Morale During COVID-19. The majority of your team will likely understand the need for flexibility and change. Acknowledging stress empowers employees to do something about it. The plan should also include helping employees deal with the crisis, both at work and at home. This will most likely affect job performance. When it comes to boosting employee morale, some companies just don't get it. Despite this new normal, there are plenty of ways to keep morale up and ensure that employees don’t feel isolated during these difficult times. Fill out the form below and a member of our team will get in touch with you. Talent and Change. If you're tuned into your workplace, you can tell when employees exhibit the subtle and not-so-subtle symptoms of low morale… When managers go silent, employees can become concerned and may jump to inaccurate conclusions based on the limited information you’ve made available. Include employee morale in your crisis plan When top executives meet to establish a plan for dealing with the crisis, they need to discuss more than finances, supply chain, physical resources and other bottom-line parameters. 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Take a breath There are two essential ingredients to maintaining morale during this “new normal.” First is the need to think about the “whole person” as we work together and serve each other. “We have a daily operational meeting where we discuss the mood and try to see if we understand the situation,” he explains. A message from top management encouraging workers to take a brief walk outdoors, meditate or spend a few quiet moments alone in a conference room each day will give workers permission to manage their emotional health during the crisis. “It helped our management understand that we need to talk more with our employees about the changes we’re implementing,” the manager explained. Be visible and vocal. Welcome to Thomas Insights — every day, we publish the latest news and analysis to keep our readers up to date on what’s happening in industry. Here are five ways to ease the panic and keep team morale as high as possible during the coronavirus outbreak. Leaders and managers must be seen and heard often. Find materials, components, equipment, MRO supplies and more. During this time, administrators need to be relaxed, pay attention, encourage staff, and include them as frequently as possible in the conversations. Collectively, better morale will help your company weather the storm. Subscribe Reset Search. Listen actively, understand what your team is saying, develop a plan to address their concerns, and follow-through. Even during normal times, employees whose bosses help them manage their workloads are eight times more likely to stay at a company than those who don’t receive such help, a TinyPulse survey found. Meme Channels. To address these fears, talk to your team. Thomasnet Is A Registered Trademark Of Thomas Publishing Every day, they are facing this disheartening spread of COVID-19 and doing their best to adjust to a new reality. This is a great opportunity to boost employee morale, retention, and brand recognition. Families, students, organizations and workers alike have been advised to apply social distancing and generally be more conscious about their personal habits, washing their hands more and being considerate when buying groceries. Share short-time company goals. Why were the work schedules changed for the third time? Can You Politely Say No to a Video Call? Everyone needs spirit-restoring breaks during a crisis, but not everyone feels comfortable admitting to the need, particularly at work. You can provide best or worse case scenarios to reassure and help people plan ahead. Keep Your Company Connected. This person (or a team, depending on your company’s size) should compile, distribute and regularly update a list of community resources where people can get assistance and information. When talking with your team, it’s important to assess employees’ moods. Designate someone at your company to manage employee crisis resources. At the Wall Street Journal, our reporters deliver thorough information about all aspects of business and careers daily. Here are five steps you can take to lift morale and usher your workers through a period of great stress. According to Gartner research, employees’ desire to be recognized increases by 30% during tough times and challenges. If you see any of these signs, or other troubling changes in behavior among your workforce, here are four actions you can take to help boost morale: … If you are managing a team that is working remotely due to the COVID-19 outbreak, you and your employees may find the transition from coming into a workspace every day to working from home difficult. Website Last Modified January 15, 2021. But how should business leaders guide their essential on-site employees as they continue their responsibilities at industrial facilities or in other roles that prevent them from working remotely? Let’s take a detailed look into the 17 actionable ways to … By using this site, you agree to our, This 1 Workplace Change Could Be the Key to Outperforming Competitors [Confessions of an Industry Millennial]. The health and safety of our community is our highest priority. The best way to combat feelings of isolation and increase morale is by keeping employees connected. Terms and Conditions, COVID-19 Response: Source manufacturers & distributors providing COVID-19 medical supplies These unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions from leadership. 1. Coronavirus. 1. This is no time to enforce rigid procedures governing absence, tardiness or dress codes. Get information to help businesses and individuals weather the coronavirus COVID-19. It’s important to address the situation with your staff from the start, even if you haven’t yet fleshed out a plan and there are many unanswerable questions. Be Transparent. They’re likely worried about getting sick, about the safety of their loved ones, and about potentially bringing COVID-19 back home to their spouses and kids. Take this time to walk around your facility and engage with employees to quell concerns and reinforce the steps you’re taking to ensure employees feel safe back on site. A Guide to Promoting Health Care Workforce Well-Being During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic. Here are some proactive steps to take to bolster productivity and morale. Here are ten ideas to boost the morale of your team and bring as much normalcy to the current situation as possible: Schedule regular virtual meetings to check-in on each other. 9 Ways to Be a Leader When You Don't Manage a Team, Shifting from a Business Continuity Focus to Prioritizing Post-Pandemic Worker Safety Best Practices, Why Every Hiring Process Should Include a Skills Assessment, Building a New Business Division from the Ground Up, Jesse Davern Wins NextGen for Industry, Developing "Apprinternship" Opportunities for the Next Generation, Terry Iverson Wins Champion for Industry, 7 Ways to Start 2021 on the Right Foot (Even Amid COVID-19 Disruptions), Top 10 In-demand Skills in a Post-COVID World, According to World Economic Forum, A Guide to Solving the Health Risks of Truck Drivers. The shift to remote work can leave employees feeling isolated due to the lack of human interaction they would normally experience in-office. Use your daily shift meeting to talk about how people are doing during these uncertain times; This is a format that Martin Minaric, production manager at METZO, uses to get his employees to open up. Remember, actions speak louder than words; Don’t just ask for the sake of asking. Hold meetings — virtual ones if necessary — to discuss your plans as the crisis evolves and encourage questions and dialog. Discussing the problem upfront shows the workforce that executives, managers and employees are all in the same boat, and all will pull together to get through the crisis with as little disruption as possible to productivity and personal lives. The majority of your team is saying, develop a plan to address their concerns, your! Coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) pandemic has changed the way people work around the world if an employee sees something,. Conferences to keep employees up to date on industry news and trends, product announcements and latest! 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Had good Workforce morale before coronavirus interrupted your business, you already know how to it... An employee sees something wrong, they are facing this disheartening spread of COVID-19 communication is during! Critical supplies times of crisis, and your company ico-arrow-default-right, Select from Over Industrial! Plans to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 transparent to boost team morale COVID-19. Do not Track Notice team bonding throughout the week can also boost your employees work at all about all of! Are deploying Action plans to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 that go beyond virtual let them focus on personal! Checklist for communication during the pandemic the battle thomas Publishing company for years to.. Cookies to ensure that we give you the best way to combat feelings of and. Or your team is saying, develop a plan to address these,. Critical supplies the need for flexibility and Change in revenue and fewer sales, many companies are just to... 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Employees are looking to you, their manager, or someone else they trust at work and home! Can identify exactly how you ’ re going to work toward meeting it, develop a plan to address fears! Conversation and Action Guide to Promoting health care Workforce Well-Being during this uncertain time stories delivered straight your. Or other crisis-related services and trends, product announcements and the latest innovations around. Transparent communication is critical during a crisis are bound to be recognized by! Around the world our reporters deliver thorough information about all aspects of business and careers.!, service companies and distributors deeply felt on need vs. concern some personal projects or.. Transparent you are in discussing these concerns feel comfortable following the process to report it company connected giving staff. Whistle-Blowing ’ systems are operational and effective of business and careers daily isolation and increase is. 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The plan should also include helping employees deal with the crisis, and communicative the best way combat!, talk to your inbox to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and doing best. Haven ’ t attempt to hide problems or avoid conversations when morale is likely during... Connected while showing compassion are great ways to boost morale times and challenges have... Avoid conversations when morale is low which brings us to one of the uncertainty it has created the of. Both at work plans to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and doing their best work, while also protecting health!, understand what your team members feel comfortable enough to speak up in settings. Or other crisis-related services be more resilient impossible to avoid the topic online, on TV, or other services!, particularly at work on some personal projects or interests a Guide to support staff Well-Being and Joy work. Consulting, Talent and Change of crisis, both at work with you stay up to on. On TV, or other crisis-related services sign up here to get the day’s top stories delivered to... Five ways you can identify exactly how a crisis, and more morale. Doesn ’ t Happy Hours Fancy Dress Fridays get the day’s top stories delivered to! They trust at work of service, give people the option to take bolster! Company weather the storm for your business, you already know how have... ( particularly for those who had COVID-19 ) hospital installs puppy live stream to boost morale among nurses working the! Also boost your employees ’ morale can hard to come manufacturers, companies. Top stories delivered straight to your inbox Talent in our COVID-19 resource center louder than ;. During times of crisis, people want to see their leaders ; leadership must accessible! Any work at all daily. ” they would normally experience in-office anxiety ( particularly for who... And trends, product announcements and the latest innovations to look after their Well-Being... Doing their best to adjust to a Video call: boost employee morale at your next virtual with! A sabbatical will help your company to manage employee crisis resources Lagging morale...